2026 NOW Festival | presented by The Atlanta Opera
Water Memory (Jala Smriti)
WORLD PREMIERE
Ferst Center for the Arts @ Georgia Tech
Friday, June 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, June 14, 2026 @ 3pm
COMPETITION SHOWCASE
Ray Charles Performing Arts Center @ Morehouse College
Saturday, June 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
SPONSORS
The Antinori Grand Prize is made possible with generous support from
The Antinori Foundation
The Atlanta Opera receives support from the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency—the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
WELCOME
Welcome to the NOW Festival — New Opera Works — a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the future of opera in Atlanta.
Before anything else, I want to recognize the remarkable team that makes this festival possible. While these performances take place over just a few days, the work of creating new opera never stops. It unfolds yearround through workshops, mentorship, partnerships, commissions, and countless hours of artistic development. I am especially grateful to Jessica Kiger, whose leadership and tireless commitment have shapes the NOW Festival into one of the most exciting new-opera initiatives in the country. Along with our artists, staff, partners, and volunteers, she has built a program that nurtures new voices and transforms bold ideas into living works.
Just a few weeks ago, we concluded Wagner’s monumental Twilight of the Gods—a six-hour epic that brought our four-year journey through the Ring cycle to its thrilling conclusion. The magic of opera can encompass both the grandest
artistic ambitions and the most intimate moments of storytelling. Here at the NOW Festival, we take delight in the tenminute operas created during the 96Hour Opera Project that are filled with imagination, invention, and possibility.
The brief scenes you will experience at Morehouse College are not simply exercises; they are seeds. Given time, mentorship, and support, those seeds can grow into fully realized operas. Our world premiere of Water Memory (Jala Smriti) is a beautiful example of that process. Developed over two years and enriched through our extraordinary partnership with Georgia Tech, the work draws upon the university’s expertise in elder care research and assistive technologies. Through this collaboration, the creative team discovered exciting new intersections between opera, science, and technology.
At Morehouse College, the 96-Hour Opera Project continues to thrive as a home for emerging artists and bold experimentation. Now in its fifth season, the project has already led to three fully developed opera premieres, proving that great new works can begin with a spark of imagination and a community willing to nurture it.
Thank you for joining us on this journey and for helping us build the future of opera together.
Tomer Zvulun
Carl
W. Knobloch, Jr.
General & Artistic Director
photo: The Sintoses
WELCOME
Five years is an unusual length of time because it can be experienced in so many different ways. Five years in college can feel like a lifetime. Five years will see a baby grow to a child, ready to start school and make friends; a blinkand-you’ll-miss-it time for any parent. Five years is a pretty standard unit of measurement for opera companies, which often have to plan their seasons far enough in advance to plan, but not so far that they can’t adapt to the wants and needs of their communities.
Over these last five years, what began as the 96-Hour Opera Project has grown and transformed beyond our wildest dreams, far beyond what anyone might think of as a “project.” Still, that’s how it all started, uncertain at first, with lots of questions, but one clear aim: to magnify the voices of composers and librettists from underrepresented communities and to bring their stories to life. It’s been a great journey, and something special about a journey is that you arrive different than when you came. To that end, the 96-Hour Opera Project has laid the groundwork for this,
our inaugural NOW Festival , and like the name implies, we invite you to celebrate with us!
We’ve since produced three full operas, Forsyth County is Flooding (With the Joy of Lake Lanier), Steele Roots, Water Memory (Jala Smriti), with a fourth—Rosenbaum and Li—on the way. On Saturday, June 13, we’ll all find out together what the fifth will be. Of one thing, however, I am already certain: it will be compelling, dramatic, beautiful, and passionate ... in other words, it will be an opera.
Following on the heels of Twilight of the Gods, it’s fitting to think on some words from Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien—who used the same folkloric inspiration as Wagner to create his own fantasy epic. “All that is gold does not glitter / Not all who wander are lost.” When we ventured forth in search of new opera five years ago, we had no idea what awaited us. What we’ve found has been as good as gold.
Jessica Kiger Chief of Staff
photo: Jeff Roffman
Water Memory Jala Smriti
WORLD PREMIERE PERFORMANCES
Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 3:00 pm
Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech
APPROXIMATE RUN TIME 72 minutes
COMPOSER Kitty Brazelton
LIBRETTIST Vaibu Mohan
COMMISSIONED by The Atlanta Opera
CONDUCTOR Chaowen Ting
DIRECTOR Gregory Luis Boyle
SCENIC & PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Donald Eastman
COSTUME, WIG, & MAKEUP DESIGNER Emmie Tuttle
LIGHTING DESIGNER Ben Rawson
SONIC ARCHITECT TeAiris Majors
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Timothy Verville
CAST
JANANI Indira Mahajan
MPO Samantha Burke
MALLI Tanushka Sisodiya
CHANDRU Joseph Ittoop
JOSEPH/HYDRANGEA CHORUS BASS Jacob Lay
HYDRANGEA CHORUS SOPRANO Hanan Davis
HYDRANGEA CHORUS ALTO Ebony Collier
HYDRANGEA CHORUS TENOR Timothy Miller
ORCHESTRA
VIOLIN Lisa Morrison, Concertmaster
CELLO Barney Culver, Principal
BASS Daniel Tancredi, Principal
PERCUSSION Michael Cebulski, Principal
HARP Susan Brady, Principal
PIANO/KEYBOARD Nyle Matsuoka
NEW WORKS PRODUCER Alejandra Martinez
STAGE MANAGER Nicole Walters
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Julia Whitten
NOW FESTIVAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Lesh’In Edwards
Musicians employed in this production are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
NOW FESTIVAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Lizzie Robertson
NOW FESTIVAL INTERN Tessa Walker
SYNOPSIS WATER MEMORY | JALA SMRITI
Following a choral prologue evoking the cycle of life and reincarnation through the symbol of water, the story begins in a garden.
SCENE 1
Chattering hydrangea bushes await their mistress gardener. Janani arrives resplendent—a woman in her prime— grandly scolding and tending them, ignoring their thanks but joining in their celebratory dance. The unexpected arrival of a young man transforms her; she becomes a girl again, outraged that Joseph, her beau, is late. He woos her, and she yields, as the hydrangeas look on with admiration. The romance is abruptly interrupted by a young businesswoman speaking loudly into her phone. When Malli ends the call, she reminds Janani that she is her daughter and that it is time to go to the doctor. The garden and Joseph recede as Janani mourns the loss of her memory.
SCENE 2
In a computer-filled man cave, water droplets appear as flying bits of data. Chandru, the computer operator, works intently to code what he hopes will become his digital companion, though the system repeatedly crashes under the strain. In fleeting glimpses, the AI emerges—first as a voice, and finally embodied. Data bytes, Chandru, and the new being—MPO, or Memory Processing Operator—move together in a dynamic, animated dance.
SCENE 3
Back in the garden, Malli visits again, unwilling to leave her mother in peace. She argues that Janani cannot continue living alone. The hydrangeas appear visibly threatened, though Malli cannot see them. In the midst of the argument, Janani’s son Chandru arrives; he observes before joining in, attempting to defend his mother. Chandru and Malli clash violently as the hydrangeas urge Janani not to trust her children. In her desperation, Janani reveals that she sees Joseph—her long-dead husband and their father. The conflict escalates until Janani falls.
SCENE 4
Janani awakens from dreams of her dying garden in a room within an institution. When she begins to see her hydrangeas and Joseph, nurses medicate her. Though her children visit, they are unable to reach her. Chandru is suddenly struck by the possibility that his MPO might rescue his mother; Malli resists, then relents. Janani returns to her garden.
SCENE 5
Later in the garden, Janani teaches MPO how to care for the hydrangeas. As time passes, she begins to forget them, and MPO gently reminds her.
LOBBY ACTIVATION: SOFT SYSTEMS WATER MEMORY | JALA SMRITI
FERST CENTER FOR THE ARTS @ GEORGIA TECH | LOBBY
June 2 - 14, 2026
In collaboration with The Atlanta Opera, the Ferst Center for the Arts invites audiences to extend their journey into Soft Systems, an immersive art and technology gallery inspired by the world premiere of Water Memory (Jala Smriti)
This interactive exhibition explores the fluid nature of memory through multisensory installations that engage sight, sound, touch, and spatial awareness. Just as Water Memory (Jala Smriti) navigates the emotional and neurological landscapes of remembrance, this gallery offers audiences a tactile and experiential entry point into those same themes.
WORKS INCLUDED:
EMMA CHAMMAH
The exhibition focuses on empathy and accessibility. Drawing inspiration from assistive technologies and tools used by individuals living with dementia, the installations highlight how design, innovation, and artistry can support memory retention, reduce anxiety, and foster moments of connection, recognition, and comfort. All are invited to encounter sensory environments.
From responsive soundscapes and interactive objects, each installation serves as both an artistic expression and a functional exploration of how we connect and care for one another through technology and community centered design.
• Carescapes (emma-emma.com/carescapes)
• Super-El Ayn (emma-emma.com/super-el-ayn)
• Curio Blanket (emma-emma.com/curio-blanket)
SYLVIA JANICKI
• Rest Against the Machine: Sitting with (White) Noise of AI Data Centers (sylviahjanicki.com)
CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE DESIGN & INNOVATION
• Tools for Life and Assistive Technology (cidi.gatech.edu/services/toolsforlife)
Kitty Brazelton, a NYC-based composer, bandleader, and multiinstrumentalist, has been recognized with two Opera America awards, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and an NPR-broadcast choral commission with Garrison Keillor. She has always championed music’s power to unite. Brazelton’s recording project the world is not ending—we’ve been here before brings six works into immersive audio, with over 75 singers and instrumentalists recorded worldwide. Other milestone works include I am not my Photograph (you cannot erase me) premiered by the LA-based Isaura String Quartet, and Essential Prayers Project—an a cappella work that revisits the tradition of prayer in intimate house concert settings. Most recently, after leaving her professorship to compose full time, Brazelton teamed with digital multimedia MASARY Studios to create Recursion and Release—four hours of live a cappella choral music digitally transformed for FirstWorks Providence RI’s street festival. Brazelton’s vocal quintet sang newly composed polyphony, with text from Jack Kornfield’s guided “Meditation on Letting Go,” while attendees embarked on a physical journey through spatialized choral clouds of sound and light in the dark garden, chapel, and sanctuary of an 1847 church
VAIBU MOHAN LIBRETTIST
Vaibu Mohan is a writer, musician, dancer, director, and producer specializing in bringing South Asian forms of storytelling and theater into the Western sphere. She founded the series Work In
Progress at 54 Below that gives early career writers a place to present their work. New York City premieres include: Life Of A Lemon (NYU/AOP Opera Labs), Keep It Cheery (Brooklyn Children’s Theater), and the concert presentation of Sati: Goddess Incarnate at 54 Below in July 2023. Mohan debuted off-Broadway songwriting of Village Songs at Rattlestick Theater (Spring 2022) and is a writing consultant on White Rose (off-Broadway January 2024). As a Bharatnatyam performer and creator, Mohan creates pieces that stretch the genre and explore connections between disparate artforms. Mohan has performed at 54 Below, Greenroom 42, La Mama Theater, Lincoln Center, and Midnight Theater. She is a graduate of the NYU Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.
CHAOWEN TING CONDUCTOR
Chaowen Ting has been praised for her “enlightening and engaging” guidance and “stylish and clear” musical direction in performances of opera, orchestral, and chamber works. Recognized for her empathetic leadership and commitment to creating opportunities for diverse voices, the Atlanta-based Taiwan native is known for building strong connections with audiences through music. Ting currently conducts the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra and serves as Music Director of the North America New Chamber Opera Festival in Ohio. Recent engagements include conducting the world premiere of Forsyth County is Flooding for The Atlanta Opera and serving as assistant conductor for Verdi’s Requiem with Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie at Philharmonie Berlin. She has also appeared with Opera Orlando, the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Allentown Symphony
CAST & CREATIVE
Orchestra. Ting studied law at National Taiwan University before earning music degrees from CCM Cincinnati and the Eastman School of Music.
GREGORY LUIS BOYLE
STAGE DIRECTOR
Gregory Luis Boyle has worked with opera companies across the United States as a stage director, associate director, and assistant director. He recently directed Don Pasquale for Inland Northwest Opera and previously served as stage director for Tomer Zvulun’s productions of Macbeth and La bohème at The Atlanta Opera, as well as associate director for Rigoletto Boyle made his Atlanta Opera debut as assistant director for Das Rheingold and continued with Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. Additional credits include work with Opera Philadelphia, Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the Academy of Vocal Arts, Santa Fe Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Central City Opera, and Virginia Opera. He has also worked extensively with emerging artists and young performers through training and education programs across the country, helping mentor the next generation of opera talent.
DONALD EASTMAN
SCENIC & PROJECTIONS
DESIGNER
Donald Eastman, scenic designer, designed last season’s Steele Roots. The acclaimed designer’s premiere productions include Blue (Glimmerglass Festival), Steve Reich’s 3 Tales (BAM), Philip Glass’s Appomattox (Washington National Opera), Douglas Cuomo’s Arjunas Dilema (BAM) and Tazewell Thompson’s Jubilee (Seattle Opera). His designs for Opera and
Theatre have been seen across America and in Europe. Donald is a NEA/National Opera Institute grantee and the recipient of a Village Voice OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence.
EMMIE TUTTLE
COSTUME, WIG, & MAKEUP DESIGNER
Emmie Tuttle is an award-winning costume designer and educator based in Atlanta, Georgia, with over 17 years of professional experience in theatre, film, television, and educational settings. She is an alumna of Savannah College of Art & Design. Emmie has collaborated with regional theatres, universities, and film/ TV projects, and has served as a guest designer and lecturer at institutions including Auburn University, Georgia State University, Columbus State University, and Gainesville Theatre Alliance. Emmie is also a dedicated educator, who develops college-level courses, leads workshops, and mentors students. After working years ago as a stitcher and dresser with The Atlanta Opera, she is especially excited and grateful to return for Water Memory
BEN RAWSON
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Ben Rawson is an Atlanta-based Lighting Designer for Dance, Theatre, and Opera, a member USA 829. Theatrical and Opera design work can be seen at The Alliance Theatre, Detroit Opera, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Glimmerglass Opera, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Utah Opera, Atlanta Opera, Florida Studio Theatre, Center Repertory Company, Theatrical Outfit, Aurora Theatre, Actors Express,
CAST & CREATIVE WATER MEMORY | JALA SMRITI
and others. Dance design work includes collaborations with choreographers Yuri Possokhov, Johan Kabborg, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Claudia Schreier, Jennifer Archibald, Troy Schumacher, Remi Wörtmeyer, Kiyon Ross, Bruce Wells, Danielle Agami, Garrett Smith, Omar Roman De Jesus, Houston Thomas, and Heath Gill as well as with companies such as Atlanta Ballet, Dance Victoria - BC, BalletCollective, STEPS Panama, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, The 92Y, Prisma Dance Festival - Panama, BocaTuya, Riverside Dance Festival, Fly On A Wall, and others. benrawsondesign.com
INDIRA MAHAJAN
JANANI
Praised for her “riveting” performances by Opera News and her “stunning” voice by Opera Wire, Indira Mahajan has earned international acclaim with leading opera companies and orchestras worldwide. Spanning repertoire from Baroque to contemporary works, she is recognized as a versatile and compelling artist. A recipient of the prestigious Marian Anderson Award, she has also been honored as Debut Artist of the Year by both Dallas Opera and New York City Opera. Upcoming engagements include The Tibetan Book of the Dead with Opera Grand Rapids and Thumbprint with Portland Opera. Mahajan has appeared at many of the world’s premier opera houses, including London’s Royal Albert Hall, Semperoper Dresden, and Oper Frankfurt, as well as with major U.S. companies such as Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera. Her concert work includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony at Carnegie Hall.
SAMANTHA BURKE
MPO
Soprano and violinist Samantha Burke is the Founder and Director of Burke Music Academy, where she teaches voice, strings, and piano. She holds degrees from Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music (M.M.) and Bard College (B.M.), and has studied with Amy Shoremount-Obra and Erika Kiesewetter. In 2025, Ms. Burke joined The Atlanta Opera as a member of the mighty Atlanta Opera Chorus, and originated the role of MPO in the premiere of Water Memory (Jala Smriti) as part of the NOW Festival. Recent highlights include appearances with the New York Philharmonic Chorus in the New York premiere of Émigré at Lincoln Center, and performances with J’nai Bridges (NPR broadcast). Her repertoire includes roles in Die Zauberflöte, Manon, and Omar by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, which she performed at Spoleto Festival USA. She has premiered works by composers including Cecil Taylor and Kitty Brazelton, and has participated in masterclasses with Angel Blue and Jake Heggie. An advocate for innovative programming, Ms. Burke is known for integrating works by Nina Simone into classical recital repertoire. She resides in Atlanta.
TANUSHKA SISODIYA MALLI
Tanushka Sisodiya is a South Asian soprano from Cumming, Georgia. She is a graduate of Mercer University, where she earned a double major in Music and Information Science & Technology, with a minor in Cybersecurity. She was recognized as both a Fabian
CAST & CREATIVE
Distinguished Music Scholar and a Jesse Mercer Scholar. A prizewinning performer, Tanushka won the 2023 Atlanta Opera Guild Undergraduate Competition and earned first place in the Georgia NATS competitions (2022–2024) and the Southeastern Regional NATS competition in 2024. She also won the Charleston International Music Spring Competition and was a semifinalist in both the 2024 National NATS and 2025 Classical Singer Vocal Competition. Her operatic roles include Almirena (Rinaldo), Pernille (The Beautiful Bridegroom), Sister Mary Leo (Nunsense), and Clarissa (Little Women). As part of The Atlanta Opera’s NOW Festival, she performed Malli in Water Memory (Jala Smriti), and a debut as Norina in I Pazzi per Progetto in Italy.
JOSEPH ITTOOP CHANDRU
North Carolina native Joseph Ittoop has performed extensively as a tenor soloist in opera, oratorio, and musical theatre across the United States and Europe. A versatile musician, he is also a composer and arranger whose work spans full orchestra, chamber ensembles, jazz, and voice. In addition to singing, he plays and teaches clarinet, saxophone, and piano. Operatic roles include Alfredo (La traviata), Rodolfo (La bohème), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), and Lenski (Eugene Onegin). Concert repertoire includes Britten’s Serenade and Saint Nicolas, Bach’s Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, and works by Beethoven, Bernstein, Dvořák, Haydn, Mendelssohn,
Rossini, and Stravinsky. Musical theatre credits include The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Into the Woods, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. He has performed at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Notre Dame, and Washington National Cathedral.
JACOB LAY
JOSEPH / HYDRANGEA CHORUS BASS
Jacob Lay, Baritone, is an Atlanta native from Ellenwood, Georgia. He holds degrees from Simpson College in Indianola, IA (B.M Music Performance) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (M.M Voice Performance). He’s performed with companies around the country such as The Atlanta Opera, Knoxville Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Ad Astra Music Festival, Cedar Rapids Opera and the Georgia Symphony Orchestra. Jacob is also a passionate advocate for the works of composers from underrepresented groups, especially the work of William Grant Still, whose works Jacob has researched and performed extensively. He is also a composer himself and has enjoyed success in several composition contests around the country.
HANAN DAVIS
HYDRANGEA CHORUS SOPRANO
Hanan Davis is a performing artist and educator. She holds a BA in Music and Psychology from Spelman College, an MM in Vocal Performance from The Ohio State University, and an Ed.M in Music and Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is currently pursuing an Ed.D in Music and Music Education. Hanan currently
CAST & CREATIVE WATER MEMORY | JALA SMRITI
teaches at Spelman College and Atlanta Music Project, and sings with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choruses. This is her fourth year working with the NOW Festival.
EBONY COLLIER HYEDRANGEA CHORUS ALTO
Ebony E. Collier, a native of Miami, Florida, is a mezzosoprano who received her BA in Voice from Kennesaw State University. She has performed with several opera companies, including Peach State Opera, Capitol City Opera, and is a current member of the Atlanta Opera Chorus. Her performance experience also includes collaborations with Atlanta Symphoria, The Georgia Spiritual Ensemble, and numerous churches throughout the Atlanta area. In addition to her work as a performer, Collier serves as a Director of Chorus and Theatre, where she is passionate about mentoring young artists and fostering strong foundations in music and theatrical education.
TIMOTHY MILLER HYDRANGEA CHORUS TENOR
A native of Augusta, Georgia, tenor Timothy Miller captivates audiences with his powerful voice and dynamic artistry. Known for his versatility on operatic and concert stages, he has earned acclaim for performances spanning classical masterpieces to contemporary works. Operatic roles include Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s Aida, Puccini’s La bohème, Anthony Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, and Curtis Bryant’s The Secret Agent (world premiere). His portrayal of Crab Man in Porgy and
Bess received critical praise at Paris’ Opéra-Comique and on tour across Europe. In concert, he has appeared as tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, and works by Verdi, Mendelssohn, and Hailstork. He has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Pops Orchestra. Widely recognized for his stirring rendition of “God Bless America” at Atlanta Braves games, he was featured as soloist for Game 5 of the 2021 World Series. Miller holds degrees from Morehouse College and Mannes College of Music and serves on the faculty at Morehouse College.
TALKBACK PANEL
GEORGIA TECH
FERST CENTER FOR THE ARTS
S unday, June 14, 2026 immediately following the performance
The panel discussion explores the intersection of art and science, examining what’s possible in AI-assisted caregiving today, the ethical questions that come with it, and how technology can support aging while still honoring dignity and human connection.
Structured across segments including artistic process, neuroscience and AI, lived caregiving experience, and the future of home-based technology, the panel invites audiences to consider both the promise and the complexity of integrating technology into moments of vulnerability.
PANELISTS
KITTY BRAZELTON
composer, bandleader, improviser, singer/ songwriter, and instrumentalist.
INDIRA MAHAJAN
Soprano performing the role of Janai
CHRIS ROZELL
Executive Director, Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology & Society at Georgia Tech
SAL KIBLER
MA, Gerontologist, Tools for Life/Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation.
NIHARIKA MATHER
PhD candidate in Human-Centered Computing at Georgia Tech.
Welcome Tomer Zvulun & Dr. David Morrow
Introductions Andrea Davis Pinkney host
2025 Story Prompt
In Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, one of opera’s most well-known stories, the dwarf Alberich, upon discovering the precious gold hidden at the bottom of the Rhine, renounces love forever for the chance to wield its mystic power. That fateful exchange unleashes a cycle of greed that ends in the downfall of gods and men. Far away from the realms of myth and legend, in the year 1828, gold was unearthed in the hills of North Georgia: Cherokee Territory. The lure of that wealth set in motion forces that led to the Trail of Tears and the displacement of an entire people. Write a 10-minute scene that dramatizes a moment of renunciation during the time of the Georgia Gold Rush. Who in your story “renounces love,” be it love of the land, of kinship, of community, or of peace, in exchange for wealth and dominion? How does the discovery of gold reveal the fragility of our humanity?
10-Minute Scenes:
PASSING
GOLDEN Jake Landau composer | Darius M. Buckley librettist
Henri - Tyrone Webb | Mendel - Owen Malone | Choo Choo Hu music director/pianist
Set during Georgia’s 1837 Gold Rush, Passing Golden follows Mendel and Henri, two boys of mixed heritage who bond over music, shared family pressures, and the need to “pass for white” in the Antebellum South. Their connection deepens through a folk song both learned from their mothers, but tensions rise when they become rivals in the town’s annual fiddle contest. In this queer reimagining of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” the boys must decide whether to keep hiding their true identities or risk everything to escape.
PARTINGS Ian Y. Chung composer | Matthew Chong librettist
Nanyehi - Dayela Lima | Ruth (Ayita) - Talia Marie Aull | Andrew Bayles music director/pianist
Set in 1832 during Georgia’s illegal distribution of Cherokee land to white settlers, Partings follows a mother, Nanyehi, who urges her daughter Ruth to flee west before forced removal begins. Ruth, educated in a mission school and married to a white man, believes assimilation and the law will protect them despite mounting danger. Their emotional confrontation becomes a debate over survival, identity, and the painful cost of abandoning one’s heritage.
YELLOW BUTTERFLY Rebecca Gray composer | Andi Lee Carter librettist
Thaddeus - Travis Hall | Adalyx - Tiffany Uzoije | Aly Soriano music director/pianist
What happens when a plucky Georgia miner from 1828 and a burned-out asteroid worker from a dystopian future crack open a time portal with a pickaxe? Find out in this short scene from Yellow Butterfly, an irreverent sci-fi opera about greed, debt, and the true cost of striking it rich.
THE
SICKNESS Gillian Perry composer | David Davila librettist
Eliana - Blair Lipham | The Sickness - David Tahere | Valerie Pool music director/pianist
Set during Georgia’s Gold Rush on Cherokee land, this story follows Eliana Banks as she struggles against the greed and corruption consuming her community. Torn between loyalty to the Cherokee man she loves and the promise of security offered by a lucrative gold deal, Eliana fears the same hunger for power that shaped her family may also live within her. Haunted by visions and pressured by her father’s failing health, she must decide whether to protect the land or surrender to the forces threatening to destroy it.
WHILE THE SKY IS STILL GOLD Thomas Whitman composer | Gabriel Jenkinson librettist
Ama - Isabella Chaney | Abel - Michael Ntwa Ydjumbwiths | Tim McReynolds music director/pianist
Set in North Georgia in 1829 during the Gold Rush, this story follows Abel, a Black fugitive sheltered by a Cherokee community, and Ama, the Cherokee woman who loves him. As bounty hunters close in and the settlement faces growing danger, the couple plans to escape north together in search of freedom. But on the eve of their departure, Ama reveals that because of their unborn child, she cannot leave, turning their hoped-for future into a heartbreaking farewell.
Workshop Presentation:
A scene from ROSENBAUM AND LI
2025 Antinori Grand Prize Winner
Dina Pruzhansky composer | Hai-Ting Chinn librettist
Intermission
scan to vote for your favorite opera
Announcement
of Winners
Judges
B.E. Boykin
Priti Gandhi
Andrea Davis Pinkney
April Powell
Thaddeus Strassberger
Tazewell Thompson
Tomer Zvulun
Support
New Works Producer – Alejandra Martinez
96-Hour Opera Project Stage Manager - Aletha Saunders
NOW Festival Production Assistant – Lesh’In Edwards
NOW Festival Production Assistant – Lizzie Robertson
NOW Festival Intern – Tessa Walker
96-Hour Opera Project
Landau & Buckley
Jake Landau composer
Jake Landau is a composer whose work spans opera, vocal, and orchestral music, with a focus on text, theatricality, and the expressive power of the human voice. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Studies in Music from the University of Oxford, where he was a Clarendon Scholar, and a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School, where he studied with John Corigliano. Landau serves on the Extension Division faculty at The Juilliard School and is a tutor at Oxford. He is the founder and director of The New Voice Composers Studio and Composer-in-Residence with Off-Brand Opera. His works include the Off-Broadway 3PENNY Opera and the one-act operas & Aeterna and Pietà. His music has been commissioned by leading artists and appears on the GRAMMY-nominated album In This Short Life. Honors include the Walter Hinrichsen Award and recognition from New York Festival of Song’s “9 under 34.”
Darius M. Buckley librettist
Darius M. Buckley is a published dramatist, screenwriter, novelist, and emerging librettist whose work explores history, identity, and the intersection of music and storytelling. A graduate of Columbia University’s MFA Playwriting program, Buckley has developed work across stage, prose, and audio, with a focus on stories rooted in cultural memory and social impact. His play 18 was a top-six finalist and winner of the Samuel French Off Off-Broadway Short Play Festival and is now published through Concord Theatricals. His recent commission with Mouths of Babes Theatre examines the displacement of Oak Grove Cemetery, blending historical research with theatrical storytelling. His MFA thesis, Leo’s Requiem, combines an original choral score with Americana influences. His experience includes serving as writing associate to David Lindsay-Abaire, script assistant to Clint Dyer, and librettist intern on Dream of the Red Chamber. Buckley is the founder of Darius StoryLAB and a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Workshop.
Chung & Chong
Ian Y. Chung composer
Ian Y. Chung is an award-winning composer and educator whose work spans jazz, contemporary classical, and experimental music. He is currently pursuing a postgraduate program in Jazz Composition and Arrangement at the Kunstuniversität Graz in Austria and recently completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where he received the UMKC Graduating Doctoral Student Award. He holds degrees from Brooklyn College and City College, CUNY. His mentors include Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Tania León, and Jason Eckardt. His work has earned international recognition, including a Fulbright Research Award, the ASCAP Foundation Louis Armstrong Scholarship, and prizes such as the Nanosymphony EU Jazz Composition Contest and the Dr. Gerald Kemner Prize. His compositions have been commissioned by ensembles including the Kansas City Sinfonietta and Kansas City Lyric Opera. His music has been featured at festivals worldwide, including June in Buffalo and the Bled Contemporary Music Festival.
Matthew Chong librettist
Matthew Chong is an emerging playwright and dramaturg whose work explores the intersection of history, identity, and contemporary society. He is currently completing his MFA in Playwriting at the Yale School of Drama (2026), where he has served as a Teaching Fellow in Advanced Playwriting. He holds a BFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he double-majored in History. His plays have been recognized nationally and internationally. He won the Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award at The Kennedy Center (2025) and has been a semifinalist or finalist at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Premiere Stages Play Festival, and Bay Area Playwrights Festival. His work has been presented at Yale Cabaret, the Langston Hughes Festival, and Red Bull Theater. He has served as Writer-in-Residence at the New Harmony Project and worked on Netflix Animation’s Blue Eye Samurai. His work has been published in Red Bull Shorts Vol. 5
96-Hour Opera Project
Gray & Carter
Rebecca Gray composer
Rebecca Gray is a composer, soprano, and improviser passionate about performing and creating both classical and contemporary repertoire. She delights in uncovering operatic moments in everyday life, blending earnestness, absurdism, and dark humour. Her work reflects interests in feminism, neurodiversity (she is autistic), queerness, and modern life. Gray has performed with Pacific Opera Victoria, Tapestry Opera, Esprit Orchestra, and Code D’accès, and premiered the lead in Pomegranate (2019). With Pacific Opera Victoria, she composed, performed, and directed the opera film Jess, winner of an Opera America Award. A member of FAWN chamber creative, she was a finalist at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition. A graduate of the University of Toronto Opera School, her roles include Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni). Her compositions have received support from Opera America and the Canada Council, with commissions from Voces Boreales and Soundstreams. Her work Heaven was not Home won first prize at the 2024 SOCAN Awards.
Andi Lee Carter librettist
Andi Lee Carter (he/they) is a New York–based librettist, playwright, composer, and advocate whose work spans musical theatre, opera, and immersive performance. With a commitment to inventive storytelling, Andi blends humor, speculative worlds, and human-centered narratives to create experiences that challenge conventions and engage audiences across mediums. Andi earned an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where they received the Shubert Scholarship, the President’s Service Award, and the LGBTQ Artivist Fellowship. They also hold degrees from Berry College and Young Harris College. Their work includes Tyromancy: Live! An Immersive Cheese Musical, The AstroCat, Visions in Drag, and Pompeii Rising, among others. Earlier works include OPPY: A Mars Rover Story and Rejected! The Musical. Andi’s work has been supported by American Opera Projects, Theatre Now, and Musical Theatre Factory. They are also the creator of Sci-Fi Musicals, a forthcoming podcast.
Perry & Davila
Gillian Perry composer
Gillian Rae Perry (she/they) is a composer and songwriter whose work bridges opera, orchestral music, and interdisciplinary performance, with a focus on emotionally resonant storytelling and the integration of text and music. Her compositions explore themes of memory, identity, and the inner life, earning recognition for their intimacy and lyricism. Perry is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at the Peabody Institute, studying with Kevin Puts. She previously earned an MFA in Composition from the California Institute of the Arts and dual bachelor’s degrees from Southern Methodist University. Her opera The Weight of Light, with a libretto by Marcus Amaker, was commissioned and premiered by Chicago Opera Theater. In 2025, she collaborated with The Atlanta Opera on Desert Bloom following her Audience Choice Award at the 96-Hour Opera Project. Her orchestral work I’m Sorry to My Body premiered at the Ravinia Festival in 2023. Her honors include awards from New Music USA, ASCAP, and Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard program.
David Davila librettist
David Davila (any/all) is a multi-hyphenate theatre creator from the border of South Texas. Winner of the National New Play Network Smith Prize for Political Theatre, the New American Voices National Playwriting Award, the Kennedy Center New Musical Theatre Award, and the National Latinx Playwriting Award, his work stands at the intersection of queer culture and mestizaje, questioning systems of power through plays, musicals, poetry, and stand-up comedy. An alumnus of The Second City Chicago, the Primary Stages Einhorn Playwriting School, and Indiana University (MFA), he is a charter member of Musical Theatre Factory and the Latinx Playwrights Circle. His works include Manuel Versus The Statue Of Liberty, Aztec Pirates And The Insignificance Of Life On Mars, and Promesa: A Mariachi Musical, among others. Davila is a Playwrights Horizons Artist Grant recipient and founder of Lone Star Theatre. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Playwriting at Loyola Marymount University.
96-Hour Opera Project
Whitman & Jenkinson
Thomas Whitman composer
Thomas Whitman is a composer and educator whose work spans opera, chamber music, choral, orchestral, and interdisciplinary performance. He holds a Ph.D. in Musical Composition from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied with George Crumb, and a B.A. from Swarthmore College. His additional training includes studies in Bali, Aspen, and Fontainebleau, as well as ongoing work in Balinese music traditions. Whitman served for decades on the faculty at Swarthmore College, where he is now Professor Emeritus, continuing to teach and direct the Gamelan Semara Santi ensemble. His compositions have been performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and international festivals across Europe and Asia. His operas include Cassandra and A Scandal in Bohemia, alongside a wide range of vocal, choral, and instrumental works. A dedicated educator, Whitman is also deeply engaged in community music programs, bringing composition and performance to students of all ages.
Gabriel Jenkinson librettist
Gabriel Jenkinson is an emerging librettist and media strategist whose work bridges global storytelling, political narrative, and musical tradition. A lifelong writer across poetry, essays, and screenwriting, his voice explores questions of power, identity, and collective experience. Opera has been central to his artistic development, shaped by his Italian heritage and early exposure to the music of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini. He draws inspiration from works such as Nabucco, where the chorus serves as a vehicle for shared voice and resistance. His Jamaican heritage further informs his sensibility, grounding his work in traditions of rhythm, storytelling, and cultural exchange. Professionally, Jenkinson is Co-Founder and Principal of Hollywood Ventures Group and Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Entertainment Media Ventures. A graduate of Dartmouth College and a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, Jenkinson approaches opera as both inheritance and frontier—seeking to expand who participates in its creation and whose stories are sung.
After the showcase on Saturday, June 13, scan this code to vote for your favorite opera, or visit atlantaopera.org/vote.
The Audience Choice winner will be announced following the showcase.
Scenes from the 2025 96-Hour Opera Project at Morehouse College. | photos: Raftermen
Now Festival
WORKSHOP PRESENTATION
COMPOSER Dina Pruzhansky | LIBRETTIST Hai-Ting Chinn
Synopsis
Set in 1960s America during the Civil Rights era, Rosenbaum and Li follows William Li, a Chinese American law student, and Rebecca Rosenbaum, a Jewish chemistry graduate student, as they fall in love while studying in Atlanta.
As their relationship deepens, their families struggle with questions of identity, tradition, prejudice, and belonging in a rapidly changing America. Through letters, music, memory, and humor, two mothers from vastly different backgrounds unexpectedly form a connection of their own while navigating their children’s future together.
Spanning Atlanta, San Francisco, and Rochester, Rosenbaum and Li is a moving story about family, cultural identity, generational change, and the hope for a more inclusive future.
Cast & Creative
MUSIC DIRECTOR / CONDUCTOR Clinton Smith
PIANIST Elena Kholodova
OAY MEI LI Xiaohan Chen
MINA (M’NUCHA) ROSENBAUM Anne Dora Slovin
WILLIAM HOI-LEUN LI David Charles Tay
REBECCA ROSENBAUM Alexandra Watson
HOWARD BONDS Timothy D. Parrott
JULIAN ROSENBAUM / GEORGIA STATE TROOPER John Arnold
QUENTIN (QUON-SONG) LI Phillip Cheah
Carlos Pagoaga, of The Coca-Cola Company, and The Coca-Cola Foundation; Tomer Zvulun; and Jessica Kiger following the awards ceremony announcing Dina Pruzhansky and Hai-Ting Chinn as the winners of the 2025 96-Hour Opera Project. | photo: Raftermen
Dina Pruzhansky composer
Dina Pruzhansky is an award-winning composer and pianist whose work spans classical concert music, cabaret songs, liturgical works, and musical theater. Born in Azerbaijan to Jewish Ukrainian parents and raised in Israel, she now lives in New York City. Praised for her “cinematic, movingly evoking” compositions (Broadway World ) and music that “bring[s] forth the liveliest playing” (The New York Times), she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, The 92nd Street Y, and international festivals and broadcasts including WQXR-FM. Her opera-film Heroes of New York was featured in Opera Philadelphia’s Opera on Film Festival O22, and her opera SHULAMIT premiered in New York City in 2014. A graduate of the Mannes School of Music, she also writes for musical theater and music education, and is the author of I Can Play Chopin, a beginner’s piano book.
Hai-Ting Chinn librettist
Hai-Ting Chinn is a mezzo-soprano and librettist whose career spans music from medieval to contemporary works and theatrical styles ranging from performancepractice to experimental opera. She has appeared in productions including La Didone with The Wooster Group and the revival of Einstein on the Beach, as well as numerous monodramas written specifically for her. In recent years, Chinn has become known for combining science communication and music, particularly highlighting women in STEM. Her projects include Science Fair: An Opera With Experiments, Astronautica: Voices of Women in Space, and Meltdown. Of mixed Chinese and Jewish ancestry, Chinn is a native of Northern California and now lives in New York City. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Yale School of Music.
Xiaohan Chen and Alexandra Watson
rehearse Rosenbaum and Li with Hai-Ting Chinn and Dina Pruzhansky at the 2025 96-Hour Opera Project. | photo: Raftermen
Judges 96-Hour Opera Project
Priti Gandhi
Priti Gandhi is a leader in opera administration, innovative casting, and artist advocacy. In 2023, she joined the artistic department of Metropolitan Opera as Associate Director of the Laffont Competition, the opera industry’s largest nationwide search for new talent. Following an international performing career with companies including Théâtre du Châtelet, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, she transitioned into artistic administration with San Diego Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Portland Opera. Gandhi is a frequent speaker on artist advocacy and innovation in casting, serves on the artistic advisory council of the Asian Opera Alliance, and has advised grant panels for organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts and Opera America. She is also a frequent competition judge, audition master class instructor, and guest lecturer for young artists at institutions and programs across the country.
Thaddeus Strassberger
Thaddeus Strassberger, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a citizen of the USA, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Cherokee Nation. In 2005, he won the European Opera Prize, launching his international career. As a designer and director, he has created over 80 productions worldwide, including in Germany, Spain, Austria, France, Great Britain, Canada, China, and Saudi Arabia. He earned a degree in engineering from The Cooper Union in New York City and received a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Recent productions include Faust with Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, Benvenuto Cellini at La Monnaie, Lucia di Lammermoor in Poland, and Tosca for Oper im Steinbruch Sankt Margarethen. He opens the season with LA Opera with a new Carmen, with Nabucco returning later that season. He also directed opera segments for the Closing Ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Verona.
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Andrea Davis Pinkney (author and librettist) is acclaimed as the librettist for the Houston Grand Opera’s The Snowy Day, with composer Joel Thompson, a work based on the beloved classic by Ezra Jack Keats. As a New York Times bestselling and awardwinning author of numerous books, Pinkney has garnered multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, the Boston Globe’s Horn Book Honor, and the Parenting Publications gold medal. She is a four-time NAACP Image award nominee, and has been inducted into the New York Writers Hall of Fame. She and her work are the subject of the Emmynominated short film, Andrea Davis Pinkney: National Author Engagement. As a producing partner, Pinkney has served as the creator of numerous theatrical and creative leadership roles at the Walt Disney Company, Essence magazine, the CBS Magazines Group, and Simon & Schuster.
April Powell
April Powell is an accomplished writer with a strong foundation in storytelling and production. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University, where she refined her voice and narrative craft. Currently, she serves as the creative executive and head of the script department at Tyler Perry Studios, contributing to the development and execution of a wide slate of dynamic projects. April’s experience spans multiple facets of the entertainment industry. She previously served as stage manager for Tyler Perry’s Farewell Madea stage play and has written for two of Perry’s acclaimed television series: the long-running hit House of Payne and BET’s number one drama Sistas. With a growing body of work and a proven commitment to storytelling, April Powell continues to shape impactful narratives that resonate with audiences across platforms.
B.E. Boykin
B.E. (Brittney Elizabeth) Boykin is a distinguished composer, conductor, and pianist, renowned for her dynamic artistry and contributions to the world of music. Most recently, her music appears on two albums nominated for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards in the Best Classical Solo Vocal Album category: Black Pierrot and In This Short Life. This recognition joins a legacy of performances at venues such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, affirming her influence in contemporary classical music. In addition to her work in opera, she continues to impact the choral world as a sought-after conductor and clinician, celebrated for her artistic expression and ability to connect with ensembles. Recent highlights include conducting the Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Choir at the 2024 Chorus America Conference and leading them to a category win at the 2024 World Choir Games. She serves on the National Board for the National Collegiate Choral Organization and is Director of Choral Activities at Georgia Tech.
Judges 96-Hour Opera Project
Tazewell Thompson
Tazewell Thompson is an award-winning director of opera and theater who is also a playwright, librettist, lecturer, teacher, and actor. His opera, Blue, with composer Jeanine Tesori, won the Music Critics Association of North America Award for Best New Opera in 2020. The New York Times and Washington Post listed Blue as Best in Classical Music for 2019. Blue has been produced at The Glimmerglass Festival, Washington National Opera, Dutch National Opera English National Opera, in Seattle, Pittsburg, and at Chicago Lyric Opera. His a capella musical Jubilee: Fisk Jubilee Singers premiered at the Seattle Opera in 2024. At Lincoln Center, his newly commissioned libretto for the world premiere of Gathering Song, was hailed by The New York Times as “thrilling in its polish and expressive range.” His poem Ghostlight: A Howl for the Lost City of Broadway published in The New York Times was a lament for the many theaters closed by the pandemic. His work in the industry has been acclaimed with many awards and EMMY Award nominations.
Tomer Zvulun
General and Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera since 2013, Israeli-born Tomer Zvulun is also one of opera’s most exciting stage directors, earning consistent praise for his creative vision, often described as cinematic and fresh with “a compelling dynamism” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). His work has been presented by prestigious opera houses around the world, including The Metropolitan Opera, the opera companies of Israel, Buenos Aires, Wexford, Glimmerglass, Houston, Washington National Opera, Seattle, Detroit, San Diego, Minnesota, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Wolf Trap, as well as leading educational institutes and universities such as The Juilliard School, Indiana University, Boston University, and IVAI in Tel Aviv. Since becoming General and Artistic Director for the Atlanta Opera more than a decade ago, Zvulun has expanded the operations of the company from three to six productions per season, gained international notice for transformative artistic vision, while stabilizing the financials. Some of his noted achievements include launching the successful Discoveries series, creating the first young artist program, tripling the company’s annual fundraising, creating The Atlanta Opera Film Studio, launching a new-works competition and festival, developing The Veterans Program, and building a theatre in a circus tent where performances were conducted safely during the pandemic. His work has attracted international attention by earning numerous awards and prizes including nomination of The Atlanta Opera for the International Opera Awards in London and the selection of his production Silent Night by both the Irish Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as production of the year. His focus on innovation led to an invitation to deliver a TED Talk as well as a case study being taught at Harvard Business School.
The Atlanta Opera
EXECUTIVE
Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun
Managing Director
Chief of Staff
Executive Assistant & Board Liaison
ARTISTIC / MUSIC
Micah Fortson
Jessica Kiger
Misty Reid
Carl & Sally Gable Principal Conductor Iván López Reynoso
Music Director Emeritus
Director of Artistic Administration
Assistant Artistic Director
Artistic & Operations Manager
Chorus & Orchestra Manager
Orchestra Librarian
ADVANCEMENT
Director of Advancement Revenue Jonathan Blalock
Associate Director of Development Luke MacMillan
Associate Director of Development Operations
Institutional Giving Manager
Arthur Fagen
Meredith Wallace
Gregory Luis Boyle
Megan Bennett
Chris Bragg
Phil Parsons
Artistic Services Coordinator Elizabeth Graiser
PRODUCTION
Director of Production Planning
Director of Production Operations
Meggie Roseborough
Amy Smith
Technical Director Rollins
Lighting Supervisor
Associate Technical Director
Associate Technical Director-Operations
Props Supervisor & Artisan
Production Finance Specialist
COSTUME
Costume Director
Show Manager
Communications Coordinator
Master Draper / Tailor
Costume Stock Manager / Stitcher
Shop Assist/Wardrobe Supervisor
Lead First Hand Stitcher
First Hand Stitcher
Katy Gardner
Kristin Haynes
Individual & Community Giving Manager Brandall C. Jones
Revenue Operations Coordinator Patty de la Garza
Special Projects Manager
Development Assistant
Patron Services Manager
Nancy Kritikos
Kathy White
Justin Stanley
Patron Experience Concierge Erin Abely FINANCE
Chief Financial Officer Christina Paloski
Controller Lawanda Coleman
Accounting Manager
Senior Accountant
Jessica Drayton
Rodney Barge
Bram Sheckels
Paige Steffens
Ruth Strickland
Stephanie Workman
Paula Peasley-Ninestein
Allison Hines
Mary Cruz Torres
Jenn Rogers
Gibron Shepperd
Jaime Anthony Orrego
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION
Artistic Advisor to the NOW Festival
Assistant Director of Education
New Works & Community Engagement Manager
Community Engagement & Education Coordinator
Cassie Smith
Tazewell Thompson
Amy Williams
Jasmine Galante
Jonesia Williams
Community Engagement & Education Associate Julia Whitten
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
WATER MEMORY (JALA SMRITI)
GEORGIA TECH
Sound
Lighting
Joe Davis
Justin Camp
Audio/Deck Logan Donaldson
THE ATLANTA OPERA
Video Operator
Jay Holloway*
Second Assistant Stage Manager / Properties Crew Jai Auzenne
Wardrobe Gibron Shepperd, Paula Peasley-Ninestein
Hair & Makeup Crew
*Stagehands employed in this production are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees—Local 927
Bridgit Crider†
†The Make-up Artists & Hair Stylists employed in this production are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees—Local 798
Georgia Tech
GEORGIA TECH ARTS
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING
CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE DESIGN & INNOVATION
SCHOOL OF MUSIC, COLLEGE OF DESIGN
SCHOOL OF INTERACTIVE COMPUTING, COLLEGE OF COMPUTING
